Tuesday, June 20, 11am-12:30pm ET
Community-Led Think Tank
What is Community-Led Think Tank?
A community-led approach to librarianship focuses on working collaboratively with community, including socially excluded individuals or those with barriers to library services, to understand the needs of the community and in turn, to inform the direction of the library’s work and policies. By engaging with our community we ensure that our work reflects the local population and ensures that services are relevant to members of the community. A community-led approach puts community members in the position of being the “experts” regarding their own needs and encourages them to realize their potential. Libraries can play a significant role in creating the right conditions and opportunities to allow everyone the ability to pursue a better future.
Upcoming Events
May 28, 2024 | #ONLibChat: How Can We Support Your Community-Led Work?
We want to hear from you! The OPLA Community-Led Libraries Committee wants to know how they can support the great work library staff are doing (or planning to do) across the province to reflect the local population’s needs and ensure that services are relevant to members of your community.
What to expect: informal conversation facilitated by Community-Led Libraries Committee members with discussion prompts to break the ice. Bring your questions and insights! Please note that #ONLibChats are not be recorded.
- Do you have best practices or success stories in your community initiatives?
- What tools and resources are you curious about?
- What community-oriented topics would you like to see from future Community-Led Think Tank events?
Intended Audience: Library workplace professionals from all sectors (public, school, academic, etc.) and all library sizes!
Cost: Free for OLA Members.
The Library Marketplace Curated Collection
Shop professional resources with The Library Marketplace! We’ve curated a special collection of insightful social justice, diversity and inclusion items that will inform your community protest planning and policy preparations.
Tracy Munusami (Co-Chair), Chief Executive Officer, Newmarket Public Library
Jessica Mulder (Co-Chair), Senior Services Specialist, Community Outreach & Engagement, Toronto Public Library
Kelly Neilsen, Manager, Public Services, Brantford Public Library
Julia Campbell, Adult Services Librarian, Ajax Public Library
Selina Long, Senior Librarian, Mississauga Public Library
Kim Silk, Principal Consultant, Brightsail Research
Leah Rucchetto (OPLA Liaison), Library Service Manager, Toronto Public Library
Gina Freitag (Staff Liaison), Training and Event Producer, OLA
Emily Burns (Staff Liaison), Director, Education and Impact, OLA
1. Mandate
To develop a vision and set of best practices for Ontario public library systems to engage the community and develop a set of criteria to effectively measure those efforts.
2. Terms of Reference
a. Committee
The committee will consist of five to eight members representing small, medium and large library systems as well as northern and aboriginal interests. Of the committee members, two will act as co-chairs. The committee will report to the OPLA Council.
b. Commitment
Committee members can expect to participate in a minimum of three to five meetings per year (combination of teleconference and in-person). The combined meeting and workload time is estimated at up to six days per year on average spread out over the course of the year. Each member will serve a three year term. OPLA will cover meeting expenses within the approved annual budget.
c. Benefits
Volunteers serving on this committee will have the opportunity to work with a diverse group of individuals, all of whom have an interest in or experience with community-led library service models. Committee members will have input and access to best practices and templates which may be implemented in individual workplaces.
d. Qualifications
OPLA seeks members who have interest in helping to establish this new committee and define the community-led service model. Interested individuals should have experience in community engagement, relationship building and thinking outside of the box. The committee shall be comprised of current OPLA members in good standing.
3. Goals and Activities
a. Annual Community-Led Think Tank
b. FIMS case studies that can be shared with Ontario library systems
c. Community-Led sessions as part of the annual OLA Super Conference
d. Establish an interactive best practices database
e. Development of measurement criteria that accurately reflects community-led efforts focusing on outcomes
f. Provincial focus and operationalization of the Community-Led Libraries Toolkit.
October 2023: “Gather ‘Round: A Protest Planning and Policy Prep Discussion Forum” (virtual)
June 2023: “C.A.R.E. – Practical Tools for Sustaining Care, Accountability, & Radical Empathy in Difficult Times” (virtual)
July 2022: “Equity and Bias Awareness in Community Engagement” (virtual)
November 2021: “One size does not fit all: Equity in Engagement” (virtual)
October 3, 2019: “Mindful Communities” (London Public Library)
October 1, 2018: “Harvesting your Community Connections” (North York Central Library)
May 22, 2015: Huron College at Western University
